How I became a princess

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away called New York City, there lived a not-so-young girl who dreamed of becoming a princess.

Well, at age 37 she was still single, so the whole princess thing needed a Plan B. STAT!

After intense parental pressure to marry and procreate, she did just that. Luckily, this wanna-be princess did marry her prince, just not the kind of prince with royal lineage, land entitlements, coat of arms or estate jewelry. Which kind of stinks, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

By now, you’ve probably surmised by the phenomenal story-telling abilities — or lack thereof — that yours truly was the wanna-be princess. (Note: If I were an actual princess, I’d keep my top on whilst sunbathing, to protect the very young and very elderly from severe trauma.)

Becoming royalty

How did I become a princess, or a reasonable facsimile thereof? My son Ethan, a 7-year-old with PDD-NOS, is to thank. From an early age, Ethan showed tremendous aptitude at the piano, and has (near) perfect pitch. Through serendipity — or my shameless, continual posting of his music videos to Facebook — Ethan has become, in a mother’s humble opinion, a local “celebrity.” As such, he’s been invited to play “gigs” from time to time, ranging from 2-15,000 people! As a minor, guess who is always his “Plus One” to amazing events? Yes, royalty has its advantages!

The Genius of Autism

The second event, October 22, 2012 is the "Genius of Autism" and is created and sponsored by The McCarton Foundation. The McCarton Foundation helps young people on the autism spectrum realize their full potential and to celebrate their extraordinary talents. This year, the "Genius of Autism” highlights 14 children from around the world, Ethan included! Each hand-selected participant showcases his/her respective talent in art, animation, dance or music.

Autism Speaks to Wall Street

This October, Ethan will perform at two high-profile New York City events. Of course, the cause is always to highlight autism awareness. The first event, on October 9, 2012 is the "Autism Speaks to Wall Street: 6th Annual Celebrity Chef Gala." Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, created this event to raise autism for the Wall Street community. This signature event features 100 leading chefs — and one 7-year-old boy at the piano! — all with the common goal to fund and battle autism.

Mother of the King

Whenever I see the British royal family waving to loyal subjects on the Buckingham Palace balcony, I know how they feel. It’s the same feeling when I accompany Ethan onstage and watch him mesmerize a crowd. Ethan is the ”King,” but as his mother, I feel like a princess.

Now, if only my husband, the prince, would replace my cubic zirconia crown with real diamonds, then I really could live happily ever after. The end.